PLEASE help - computer related

[jkayet]

ok, maybe this should go in the computer forum somewhere or something, i don't know and i'm a bit too much of a mess to figure it out, so i apologize if this is the wrong forum!! Anyway, I accidently did something very dumb - I spilled some finger nail polish remover on my laptop. Not much, but i doubt any acetone is good for it...anyway, now it won't even start and i smelled burning finger nail polish remover before i turned it off. It actually froze up almost immediately and i had to just shut it off. Does anyone have any idea how much damage this did - if the hard drive is at all salvagable?? anything? Dell UK tech support is less than helpful (well, if they'd answer maybe they'd help) so I thought maybe someone here might have a clue. I feel like an idiot, but I just don't know what to do. The ocmputer won't even turn on now. Is it totally dead and gone forever with all my essays and research and downloaded music ???

Oh, and i may not get the replies immediately because I'll have to find computer labs now that I'm comptuerless...but I'll check back in - any help would be immensely appreciated.

 

[~fairy_girl~]

oh dear.

i dont have any advice for u cos i dont know feck about computers.

but i do feel sorry for u that it happened. read your post, felt i should reply cos i know what its like to have a computer breakdown.

 

[bonosloveslave]

It's pretty volatile stuff, I'd think that once it evaporates it would be fine, although the burning thing is worrisome.....

 

[melon]

The hard drive is likely salvageable, but you've fried your motherboard and perhaps your processor, which is why you can't turn it on.

You'll have to get a new laptop, I'm afraid, but have them look at your hard drive and see if it is damaged or not. It all depends on where the spill ended up.

Melon

 

[Sicy]

melon

 

[ABEL]

jkayet

 

[The_Sweetest_Thing]

Maybe there's a computer shop near you that you can take it into be looked at? They'd know for sure. and you'd get to hear more accents...
Kidding. Hope it gets fixed. That's GOTTA suck.

At least your nails will look nice when you bring the computer in. Maybe you'll get lucky and find a gorgeous, intelligent, British husband with a hand fetish at the computer repair shop who will be extremely impressed by your nails....you'll bring the computer in, he'll look down at your hands, and it'll all go from there...

 

[jkayet]

Thanks everyone, for all your help and bright outlooks.

Well, I tried to turn it on again last night and it started to work, then shut down. It recognized my profile at first though. Then this morning I tried again, and got 'please install utility', blah, blah, so I'm really scared about my hard drive. I guess it's possible that it's ok, but the computer just can't get to it or recognize it or whatever now??? (i know little about computers, so I'm not using techincal terms, clearly ). Anyway, Melon, thanks for your help. I'm so mad that Dell isn't open here now...tomorrow though. It's sad how much I rely on that thing....

 

[daisybean]

Well that's hopeful that it at least turned on for you. Maybe only some parts of it are broken and can be replaced/reinstalled.

Just get a price quote on fixing it, it may be cheaper to just get a new computer.